Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am new to chams and was thinking about getting one. I have been reading up on them for about 2 months now and have some questions. I was looking at either getting a jackson or panther. Now i know there is a big price difference between the two, is one more hardy then the other? and when im looking i see mostly jacksons being sold in pairs. Any big differences between the two besides for temps and humidity? One easier then the other to keep? Also i know chams stress real easy. Would it be better to put a cham in a smaller cage until he got bigger and then switch him to a larger one or just put him in a big one at first? or would this stress him to much.last one, i live in chicago and was looking at getting a cham from Chameleon Corral seeing that it is out by me, any personal experience with them? trust them? thanks again and my name is Bob

thanks for the replys ahead of time!

my first chameleon i used a smaller cage and when he(panther)got big enough(which i thought ws 5 months old) i got a larger cage. now with the other panthers i have i have just put them in their own large cage. the biggest problem i think with this is them fiding their food. i've just doubled(roughly) what i give them and i haven't had a problem. this part is IMPORANT...when you do get a screen cage before you put it together and add the plants, chameleon, and his crickets to eat MAKE SURE YOU HOT GLUE THE CORNERS of the cage. the cricket WILL hide in the frame unless you sea them with something. makes the difference of your chameleon eating enough(or at all) or not.

as far as what chameleon to get, i only have panthers now mid or late janurary i am getting a trio of jacksons. so right now i'd say panther...but if you get a jackson you will have money left over to get a misting system too! makes life alot easier. chances are if you get one or two jacksons or for that matter, panther you will get more. i started with one 6 months ago...i've had 7 now but currently down to 4. i just cant say no.

dennis

the glue gunning shouldn't be necessary unles you are planning on having the crickets running loose in the cage which can be kind of bad if they go in the soil of a plant and soil is ingested...
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Chris

1.2.0 Bearded Dragons
1.2.0 Green Basilisks
1.1.0 Crested Geckos
1.2.0 Veiled Chameleons
1.1.0 Corn Snakes
1.0.0 Tokay Geckos
0.0.1 California Kingsnakes
2.5.1 Leopard Geckos

i never have had a cricket climb the outside of a potted plant. they ALWAYS run around the bottom then go up to the corners of the cage.

dennis

why do you want the crickets running around the bottom of the cage with reminents of feces or watter droplets that might drown them...the plastic cups are easy to deal with, easy to check to see if the chameleon has eaten anything and easy to clean or replace.

But you can have it your way if you'd like...
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Chris

1.2.0 Bearded Dragons
1.2.0 Green Basilisks
1.1.0 Crested Geckos
1.2.0 Veiled Chameleons
1.1.0 Corn Snakes
1.0.0 Tokay Geckos
0.0.1 California Kingsnakes
2.5.1 Leopard Geckos

i was not saying i would be using this way of feeding... i was just checking on ways others on this forum feed their chams....I think the cup is a good idea... i just will have to wait and see how everything turns out...do you suspend the cup in the air towards the top of the cage?? where do you place your cups???
Bob

Just fasten them to the side of the cage. Usually we try to tilt them a bit so they can get there tounges in. Otherwise we put them at the baes of the plant, in the pot. This way they can climb down and fire away at the food. Also if you have trouble with the cup size you are using, ie: crickets jumping out because cups are too short....just pinch off the back legs. Works great for us. Don't use glasses in place of cups though, they will try to put their tongue through the glass to get the cricket....opaque plastic party cups work best....the ones you put BEER in!
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Chris

1.2.0 Bearded Dragons
1.2.0 Green Basilisks
1.1.0 Crested Geckos
1.2.0 Veiled Chameleons
1.1.0 Corn Snakes
1.0.0 Tokay Geckos
0.0.1 California Kingsnakes
2.5.1 Leopard Geckos

Dennis....

Never..?????
Well, maybe we should get our potted plants from you! If we free feed, the crickets go everywhere! Including into the potted plants - from the bottom openings, up the sides, into the top and into the soil. Superworms are just as bad if not worse - but they can't really climb the plastic, instead, they go into the plants from the bottom. Next thing we know... we have beetles wandering about.

Do you spray your pots with something? Maybe it's just the plastic they use for pots here - but most of those crickets get into hiding places - especially under the plants.

If you have "cricket training" classes - count us in. *LOL*
We have gone back to cup feeding - in some cases, we use a large plastic shoebox - or feed bin. But unless one is willing to nip the hoppers off the crickets - or get a very deep cup - some of the crickets still get out.

Another reason we like to cup feed - you can add supplement powder inside and the crickets keep running through it. This beats the cricket running all over and losing the dusting we gave it. Not only that, but the crickets/worms/etc. stay cleaner in the cup. We add a bit of dry gutload so they have something to eat (besides each other and other disgusting items).

To each, their own - but we really like to use feeder containers of some sort. We also hand feed silkworms and roaches. This is mainly to prevent roaches from escaping and the silkworms from dying on the bottom of the cage.

Hope you send us some of those trained crickets!!
**big grin**
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I am new to chams and was thinking about getting one. I have been reading up on them for about 2 months now and have some questions. I was looking at either getting a jackson or panther. Now i know there is a big price difference between the two, is one more hardy then the other? and when im looking i see mostly jacksons being sold in pairs. Any big differences between the two besides for temps and humidity? One easier then the other to keep? Also i know chams stress real easy. Would it be better to put a cham in a smaller cage until he got bigger and then switch him to a larger one or just put him in a big one at first? or would this stress him to much.last one, i live in chicago and was looking at getting a cham from Chameleon Corral seeing that it is out by me, any personal experience with them? trust them? thanks again and my name is Bob

thanks for the replys ahead of time!

I would say that Panthers are slightly more hardy than a Jackson's, probably because it's a little easier to maintain a panther climate and habitat than a Jacksons. They can have warmer temps and can handle lower humidity. Jacksons are one of the hardier chameleons though, and the difference won't be huge hardiness wise. Jacksons and panthers are pretty mellow and neither should be agressive. Panthers will be quite a bit bigger and have much larger variety of colors and color phases. They will also need a lartger cage when adult. You could start out with a smaller cage and move him/her to a larger one or you could buy an older chameleon (5-6 months or more) and start with the large cage. You might also throw a veiled into the picture. They're probably the hardiest chameleon and cheap also. I think they're fun to keep, easy to find, and easy to find advice on (especially in this forum). E-Mail me about Chameleon Corral. Check out my site if you need more info on Panthers or Veileds. Good luck with your search.
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Tyler Stewart
Las Vegas NV
www.BLUEBEASTREPTILE.com

Is it harder for the cham to find food in a larger cage???that is another thing i am worried about having a smaller cham in a large cage and it not being able to find the food.

well, i would suggest buying a cage about 36 inches tall, by 18 square for either a jackson baby or panther...

u can seal the holes in the corners with hot glue or my method of putting wax from a candle into the corner just so small crickets can go in

a good webiste is www.reptiledepot.com or www.calumma.com or www.exoticreptiles.com

these websites have good cages so your crickets other feeders wont escape

many people also use deli-cups to feed their chameleons.

just poke holes to put a zip tie through and voila u have a chameleon feeder.

n/p
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Chris

1.2.0 Bearded Dragons
1.2.0 Green Basilisks
1.1.0 Crested Geckos
1.2.0 Veiled Chameleons
1.1.0 Corn Snakes
1.0.0 Tokay Geckos
0.0.1 California Kingsnakes
2.5.1 Leopard Geckos

Chameleon Corral is top notch in my book. I wouldn't hesitate to buy from them. She is fair, honest and knowledgable.

hth,
Joel Fish